Q. I need a high quality camcorder no more than $300. We will be using it to stream high school sports live, which brings me to my supplement question. Supposedly, I know someone who knows how to set up this live streaming. But how would this be set up exactly? You would obviously need an internet connection (wifi or ethernet), but I'm not sure we have access to this.... Is it possible to use satellite streaming? Or is that impossible without internet and would it be very expensive? Thanks!
A. If "know someone who knows how to set up this live streaming" then start with them on which camcorders to investigate.
"Satellite streaming" means there is a satellite uplink (including a big dish and transmitters and such) and someone's paid for transponder space and time. It also presumes a "satellite downlinks" and access to processing the feed. I won't assume anything, but I don't *think* this will be available to you.
At $300 you are basically at the entry level for consumer grade camcorders. While these are typically well made electronics, I cannot characterize them as being "high quality" relative to video broadcast standards. Since there are no consumer camcorders that can digitally stream the video over USB until you hit the $800 range (like a Canon HV40, or any others using miniDV tape media storage will work because they use firewire), the best you can do is stream analog video.
So, given your budget - which is likely not enough - we have:
Any camcorder with AV-out. This is pretty much any camcorder - but you need to be sure the AV-out can be used to monitor what the camera can see - again, pretty much any camcorder. This plugs into an "Analog/Digital converter". The A/D converter plugs into the computer. Then the "someone who knows how to set up this live streaming" can finish up... including the connection to the Local Area Network that connects to the internet...
Use a tripod or other steadying device. Consider using a camera that uses a wired remote. The control is mounted to the tripod handle and controls zoom and other things. Use the AC adapter and be sure the camcorder's "auto sleep" is disabled. You are using a camcorder in a manner for which it was not designed.
Some Sony and Canon camcorders have a combo AV/remote port. You can do one or the other - not both at the same time. Some camcorders use a LANC. This will work great. As far as I know, the least expensive with a separate LANC is the Canon HV40... then comes the Sony HDR-FX7 (I think). These are both more than you want to spend.
What pro camcorder can I buy cheap and build up into a higher quality one?
Q. A professional camcorder that I can change up the lense, filter and whatever, on as I get more money. A camera I can eventually get an okay quality with for fictional motion pictures. Advice?
A. Hi Janie:
From your Y!A Profile, you are in the 19- to 21-year age category, so your funds might be somewhat limited, but at least you have a good idea for trying to stretch your initial purchase budget.
Also, I see you are in Sweden, which historically has been a PAL-TV format country, so you might avoid NTSC-only camera models. And rather than try to keep up with Krona and Euro exchange rates, I'll keep my monetary discussions in Dollars.
As far as "true camcorders" which have a higher tariff rate in Europe than Digital SLRs (like the Nikon D-series, the Canon EOS line, or the Sony Alphas) you will find not find many changeable lens models for less than the $2000-$5000 USD price range. (The really good changeable lens video cameras tend to run in the $12,000-$50,000 USD range.)
Having a wide range of interchangeable or upgradeable lenses is one of the appeals of the Digital SLRs (dSLR) that have "movie modes". Plus, the camera bodies are in the hundreds rather than thousands of dollars price range. One downside is the lack of professional audio features, since these are designed primarily as still photo cameras, not movie-making camcorders.
If you care to update your Question with "Additional Details" giving us a more-specific price budget ("cheap" is a very relative term, especially to a young adult) then specific brand and model recommendations can be made.
To stretch your budget money, I'd recommend looking at used-equipment rather than new, when starting out.
hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
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